"The Dutch government lacks vision and courage," said Karel Wakker, professor of space technology at the Technical University in Delft. "In most European countries, governments stimulate their space programs on a large scale. The Dutch government, however, is carrying out a policy characterized by insufficient budgets, dispersed over too many projects."
Wakker and others argue that the government needs to play a more active role in the European Space Agency (ESA). In addition, they note, responsibility for the country's space program is splintered among several ministries, including economic affairs, transportation, health and defense.
"The problem is that each department is waiting for the decisions of the other," said Wakker. "None of them makes a decision with any degree of scope. The outcome is that the Netherlands takes part in many ESA projects, but not beyond the 4.5 to 5 percent that corresponds to Holland's share of the total gross national ...
